Mrs Steyn is the founder of the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day SA project.
In December 2004, Jeppe High took on the knit-a-thon challenge.
The school involved staff members and families to start crocheting and knitting the handmade blankets.
As a result, the school was the first school to reach its target.
Mrs Steyn gave the school a cheque of R210 000 for being the first school to reach the target of 670 blankets. In total, the school produced 695 blankets for the drive.
“I am proud of my girls for having the spirit to keep the legacy of our late great Nelson Mandela alive. When I started the project, I never knew it would grow so fast and touch so many lives.
“I am proud to be giving this cheque to the school because they have supported me. The whole school joined in and at the same, it created the spirit of giving and caring for others. I’m proud of my Jeppe Girls,” said Mrs Steyn.
“We had several knit-a-thons at the school, which resulted in many girls and some staff learning a new skill.
“Girls were seen knitting or crocheting before school, during registration in the mornings, between classes, during breaks and after school.
“Each class was involved and handed in squares on a regular basis,” said the headmistress, Ms Dina Goncalves.
The joint effort saw Jeppe making 408 blankets for the April 21 deadline, when handmade blankets from across the country were laid out at the feet of the Nelson Mandela statue in Pretoria.
The blankets were sewn together and the Guinness Book of Records declared a world record for the largest handmade blanket in the world, measuring 3 133 square metres.
Grade 12 pupil, Tamlyn Harker, is proud of her and the school’s contribution to the 67 Blankets for Mandela Day project.
“As a pupil at Jeppe High School for Girls, my family and I have made and donated blankets to the annual blanket drive for the last four years. My main goal was to win the class competition. This year was a little different. Instead of having a class competition to compete in, we were aiming to break a world record. Our school came together in a way I have never seen before and we managed to collect an astounding 695 blankets,” said Tamlyn.
Another grade 12 pupil, Ismatou Balde, shared the same sentiments about the school’s achievement.
“They will know that these blankets they are receiving were made with love. I think they will appreciate that and also that we came together and did something together as a school with our parents. It was really fun,” said Ismatou.
408 blankets were returned to the school to distribute to charities of its choice.
The blankets were given to the Johannesburg Children’s Home, Siyabonga Children’s Cottages, Woodside Sanctuary, Ethembeni Baby Home, Elandsvallei Old Age Home in Primrose, Bertha Solomon Cottages, Fore Court and the Hong Ming Chinese Home for the Aged in Belgravia.
Claire Marais and Carole Hemming also took baby blankets to Cotlands in the Cleveland and Denver squatter camps.
“We are pleased as a school to receive this money. It has come at the perfect time. The school is revamping its sport facilities and this money will go towards that. We are happy to be part of the project as it touches lots of lives and most importantly, it has brought our school together,” said Mrs Goncalves.
